Putin Invites Ukraine for Unconditional Peace Talks in Istanbul Amid Ceasefire Proposals

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested engaging in direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. This announcement came shortly after leaders from Kyiv and Europe called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to commence the following day.

During a meeting in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from Ukraine, the UK, France, Germany, and Poland warned Russia of potential new sanctions and military assistance for Ukraine if Moscow did not accept their proposal.

In his address, delivered shortly after 1:00 a.m. from the Kremlin, Putin did not specifically reference the leaders’ call but instead proposed restarting negotiations that had been halted in 2022.

«We invite the authorities in Kyiv to recommence discussions that they abandoned in 2022, and I stress, without any preconditions,» Putin stated.

Direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators initially took place in Istanbul during the early days of the conflict, but the efforts to agree to a ceasefire were unsuccessful, leading to ongoing hostilities.

«We propose to initiate negotiations without delay on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul,» Putin added, indicating that he would soon reach out to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to request assistance in facilitating these discussions.

Putin expressed his commitment to meaningful negotiations with Ukraine, emphasizing a desire to address the underlying issues of the conflict and work towards a sustainable peace.

Moscow’s mention of the «root causes» of the conflict often points to grievances involving Kyiv and the West as justifications for its military actions that commenced in February 2022. These include aims to «de-Nazify» Ukraine, safeguard Russian speakers in eastern regions, resist NATO expansion, and halt Ukraine’s geopolitical shift towards the West.

However, Kyiv and Western nations have dismissed these claims, asserting that Russia’s aggression is merely a bid for territorial conquest akin to imperialism.

Since the onset of the war, tens of thousands have lost their lives, with millions displaced from their homes.

«We do not rule out the possibility that during these talks, we may reach an agreement on a new ceasefire,» Putin stated.

He also accused Ukraine’s Western allies of seeking to «prolong the conflict with Russia» and criticized European «ultimatums» and «anti-Russian rhetoric,» without directly addressing the specific proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.

Shortly after Putin’s remarks, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism on his Truth Social platform, proclaiming it could be «a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine,» though he did not clarify his statement’s context. He pledged to «continue working with both sides to ensure progress.»

French President Emmanuel Macron, who had earlier convened with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv to show solidarity with Ukraine, cautioned that Putin was merely attempting «to buy time.»

«An unconditional ceasefire is, by definition, not preceded by negotiations,» he remarked upon his return from Ukraine while disembarking from a train in the Polish city of Przemysl.

During the Kyiv meeting, European leaders, alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, urged Russia to accept the 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday, warning of fresh sanctions if it failed to comply—a call supported by the United States and other nations.

Macron stated at a press conference in Kyiv, «We have just decided to endorse a ceasefire that will begin next Monday, with no preconditions.»

The leaders also conducted a video conference with counterparts from around 20 other nations supporting Ukraine.

«In case of a ceasefire violation, we have agreed to prepare and coordinate extensive sanctions between Europe and the U.S.,» Macron stated.

The U.S. and Ukraine have long advocated for a proposal similar to this one, which Russia has not accepted.

Trump had previously threatened to withdraw from discussions due to the lack of progress in achieving peace, despite having committed during his campaign to resolving the conflict within his first day in office.

Authorities in Kyiv and their allies had expressed concerns that Trump was shifting his stance towards Moscow following tensions with Zelensky. However, he has recently shown increasing frustration with Putin.